Insect-destroying machine



Sept. 23 1924.

A. E. BABcccK '1509'093 INSECT DESTHOYING MACHINE Filed June 15, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet l ano: n u.

sept. 23, 1924. f 1,509,093

' A. E. BABCCK INSECT DESTROYING MACHINE Filed June 13 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 2 enroule,

Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALLEN EARL BABCOCK, OF EXELAND, WISCONSIN.

INSECT-DESTROYING MACHINE.

Application tiled June 13, 1922.

T all w71 om t l/lzcg/ conce/m.:

y' Be it known that I, ALLEN EARL BAB- oooK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Exeland, in the county of Sawyer, St-ate ofWisconsin', `have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInsect-Destroying Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for removingdestructive insects and worms from growing plants particularly whenarranged in rows or stands and more particularly for removing potatobugs and those insects known as green hoppers and the like which feed onthe under side of the leaf, and which are difficult of access for anyeffective purpose by the application of poison; and especially toprovide a mechanical means for detaching the insects from the plantsunder such conditions as to deposit them in a receptacle having means2`54 for effecting the destruction thereof as' a poison liquid; nandwith these general'objects in view, "the invention consists in aconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts of which a preferredembodiment is shown in -the accompanying wherein:

Figures 1 and 2 are opposite side views and Figure 3 is a plan view ofa` machine embodying the invention.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

The mechanism embodies essentially a longitudinal beam 10, which forconvenience may be termed a dra-ft beam in that it is adapted by reasonof the provision at its forward end of the clevis 11 for theattachmentof suitable draft mechanism adaptable to a horse or similaranimal, said beam being supported at its front andrear ends by wheels 12and 13, of which the former is designed for use in steering or guidingthe machine, while the latter, employed in duplicate, serve to sustainthe major portion of the weight of the mechanism and are mounted on ahanger 14, depending from the draft beam. To prevent lodgement of theinsects on this beam it is preferably of crosssectionally V-shapedinverted to present upwardly directed inclined surfaces.

Also suspended from the draft bea-m in addrawings,

Serial No. 567,987.

vance of the rear or main wheels 1?, is a substantially rectangular'stationary pan l5, at one side of which is arranged a guard 16consisting of an upward extension of the side wall of the pan, and atthe other side of which is arranged a reel 17 adapted for rotarymovement; for the purpose of agitation or vibrating the plants andbrushing the insects from the leaves and limbs thereof toward the panfor exposure to the poisonous liquid of any suitable character which maybe used in connection therewith. A second pan 49 is removably positionedwithin the stationary pan and the interior of the removable pan ispreferably subdivided into compartments 18 to minimize the' liquidcontents thereof to splash or flow from one Abut serve to preventinsects which are not restrained by the liquid contents of the pan fromcrawling out of the same and escaping.

The wheels-of the mechanism are carried by a transverse axle shaft 20from which rotary movement is communicated through a connecting shaft 21suitably geared thereto as indicated at 22 to a countershaft 23 thro-ughinten-meshing gears 24e, and 'the spindle 25 Aof the reel is mounted inswinging arms 26 fulcrumed upon a pivot rod 27 which is in axialalignment with said countershaft, so that connection may be made bymeans of a sprocket chain or belt 28 between pulleys29 and 30, securedrespectively to said countershaft and'reel for communicating motion tothe reel regardless of its position andhence regardless of the elevationof the reel, which is adapted to be adjusted to suit the height of theplants upon which the machine is operating in accordance with thejudgment-of the operator.

The means for .controlling the eleva-tion of the reel consists intheconstruction illustrated of a bell-c lank lever 5l, mounted upon asuitable brace 32 connecting the tongue with one of the handles 33 andhaving one of its arms connected by a link 84 with one of the swingingreel supporting aru1s,-said bell-crank lever being connected by asuitable link with a hand lever 36 provided with a latch 37 traversinga. toothed segment 38, to the end that the hand lever and the reelsupporting means may be locked in any desired adjusted position.

To the end that the front Wheel may be utilized as means for directingthe path of the machine, it is provided with a vertical spindle 3S)mounted in a suitable upright bearing 40 and connected by a crank-arm4:1 and link 42 to a crank I3 on the rock shaft et-'r, which extendslongitudinally of the beam 10 and is provided at its rear end with acrank arm a5 having a link connection 46 with a crank arm 47 on a handrocker 48, mounted upon and serving essentially as a grip for one of thehandles intended to be grasped by the operator in the Ydirecting of themachine, with a view to securing a proper action of the reel upon a rowof plants,

It will be understood'that the spindle 39 of the front or lead wheel 12may be adjusted with relation to the `frame to the bearing of the frontend thereof and with this object in view if fitted with upper and lowercollars 39a which may be locked to the spindle by set screws of anyother equivalent means, said collars serving to bear against thecorresponding ends of the sleeve bearing 40 in which the spindleoperates.

In the operation of the machine as itis being drawn along between therows of plants, rotary movement is communicated to the countershaft 23through the connecting shaft 21, which has a gear on its lower endengaging with a gear on the rotating rear axle 20, and another gear onits upper end -engaging a gear on the end of the countershaft. The chain28 passes around the sprocket wheels carried by the counter shaft andthereel so that as the countershaft rotates, motion will be, communicatedto the reel 27 which will knock the insects from the plants into the panl5. The reel is raised or lowered through the medium of the links 34 and85, the belt crank 31 and the lever 36, the arms of the reel beingpivotally secured to the pivot rod 27, which is arranged beneath thelongitudinal draft beam 10.

W'hat is claimed is:

l. In a machine for the purpose indicated,'the combination with acentral, longitudinal, wheel supported draft beam of substantiallyinverted V-shape in cross section, of a pivot rod extendinglongitudinally of and supported beneath the said beam, arms pivotallysecured to said rod a reel carried by the arms, acounter shaft supportedbeneath the beam in aligned position to the Vrod, means for operatingthe counter shaft, and operative connections between the said countershaft and reel.

2. In a machine for the purpose indicated, the combination with acentral, longitudinal, wheel supported draft beam of substantiallyinverted V-shape in cross section, of a pivot rod extending longitudi-Vnally of and supported beneath the beam, arms pivotally secured to thesaid rod, a reel carried by the arms, one ofthe ends of the spindleofthe reel extending beyond the adjacent arm, a counter' shaft supportedbeneath the beam in aligned position to the rod, means for operating thecounter shaft, sprocket wheels'carried by the counter shaft and theextended end of the-spindle, and a sprocket chain engaging said wheels.

3. In a machine for the purpose indicated, the combination with acentral, longitudinal, wheel supported draft beam of substantiallyinverted V-shape in cross section, of a pivot rod extendinglongitudinally of and supported beneath the said beam, arms pivotallysecured to said rod,ra reel carried by the arms, a counter shaftsupported beneath the beam in aligned position to the rod, means foroperating the counter shaft, operative .connections between the saidcounter shaft and reel, and means for raising and lowering the saidreel, said means comprising a bell crank carried bythe fra-me, a handlever carried" by the frame, a link connected to'one end of the bellcrank and the adjacent arm, and a second link connected to the other endoit the bell crank and to the hand lever.

4.. A machine for the purpose` indicated including a Wheel supportedcentral longitudinal draft beam, a pivot rod ex-V tending longitudinallyof and supported beneaththe said beam, arms connectedto said rod, a reelcarriedby the arms, a counter shaft supported? beneath VV,the beam inaligned position to the rod, means for operating said counter shaft, andmeans for operating the said reel. Y Y Y In testimony whereof, I aftixmy signature, in the ypresence'of two Witnesses.Y

ALLEN EARL BABCOCK.

lVitnesses:

G. O. CHRIsTENsEN, A. A. VnNnss.

